Powdered or granular material dispensing device



p 20, 1966 A. J. KURTZ 3,273,764

POWDERED OR GRANULAR MATERIAL DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Nov. 16, 1964 INVENTOR.

, 5 3 14a I5 Albert J Kurrz 2 L1 2. w ama Attorney United States Patent 3,273,764 POWDERED 0R GRANULAR MATERIAL DllSl-ENSKNG DEVHCE Albert if. Karts, 62 Eelvedere fit, San Rafael, Calif. Filed Nov. 16, 1964., Ser. No. 411,237 4!- Claims. (Cl. 22248tl) This invention relates in general to devices used for dispensing powdered, granular, and crystalline materials, such as salt, from containers or cartons into which it has been packaged. More specifically it relates to a dispensing apparatus of highly simplified construction which may be inserted in the top of a carton of any configuration and would provide a reliable seal, as Well as simple, convenient, and fool-proof operation for alternately sprinkling or sifting, pouring the contents or shutting the container off from the outside atmosphere entirely.

Existing devices in this class have many objectives, principally in that they are complicated, difficult to manufacture, are subject to numerous operating problems such as sticking or jamming of the mechanism while in use or, in the alternative, the sacrifice of tightness of the closure after it has been placed in operation for dispensing the contents.

Attempts to overcome these problems have included, among other things, devices in which the entire top of the carton is made to rotate about a central axis and while these have been moderately successful, they are difficult and expensive to manufacture and are not readily adapted to existing carton configurations and materials, the properties of which vary quite widely.

Numerous ingenious devices have also been developed to clean the pouring holes and apertures or wipe the contact surfaces of the dispensing mechanism in order to overcome some of the above objections. These have invariably necessitated the use of external mechanisms of some sort and have entailed the employment of an operation in addition to that of shaking or pouring and that of shifting from one position to another. No existing device combines the operation of shifting and sealing as does my invention as disclosed hereinbelow.

It is an object of my invention to provide a dispensing device of the class described above which would be simple in construction, easy to manufacture, reliable in operation, and adapted to any style or shape of carton, or material of construction.

It is another object of my invention to provide a dispensing device which would alternately provide for sprinkling, pouring, or closing off the contents as desired but which would not stick or jam while so used.

It is still another object of my invention to provide a device of this class which would be pool-proof and tamperproof before being placed in use for dispensing of contents and would provide a tight hermetic seal for the contents.

It is yet another object of my invention to provide a dispensing device of the class described herein which would retain its tightness throughout the life of the carton and its contents.

It is a final object of my invention to provide a device which would have all the advantages enumerated above without resorting to radical changes in the entire carton construction.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become evident to those skilled in the art from the description which follows and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the top portion of a carton in combination with the device of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of my device with the control gate in a closed position.

3,273,764 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 FIG. 2-41 is a top view of my device with the control gate in the sprinkling position.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of my device looking up from the inside of the carton showing the operation of my novel three element construction with the control gate in the pouring position.

FIG. 4 shows the backing piece of my invention equipped with its novel wiping rim.

FIG. 5 is a cutaway view, partly in section, showing my three element construction and the wiping rims on the backing piece and top element.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the three elements of my invention and illustrating the method of assembly.

My device is preferably manufactured from plastic material such as polystyrene or polyethylene by the injection molding process which is Well known to those skilled in the art. It comprises three principal elements or parts which are assembled and secured together as described hereinbelow. The device may be inserted in the top of any type of carton or container by use of suitable adhesives which may or may not be of the plastic type, depending on the carton. It is especially well suited for use with a cylindrical carton in which the diameter of the carton is approximately equal to the diameter of my device as illustrated further herein, but it may be used with other cartons by merely inserting it and adhering it to the top.

Referring now to the figures and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is seen the top of the body portion of such a cylindrical carton 1 into which is inserted my plastic top 2. In the particular embodiment shown, the top 2 is circular and equipped with a flange section 15 and a straight cylindrical section 16 which combine to make it readily adapted to insertion and tight adhesion to a carton as shown.

Fundamentally my invention is comprised of three essential elements, namely the aforementioned top 2, the control gate 6, and the backing piece 10.. It will be evident from the following description that the unusual configuration and construction of these three elements and interacting with each other creates the novel and unusual results which overcome the problems stated above and comprise some of the basic features of my invention.

The plastic top 2 is equipped with an aperture 3 which may be closed off entirely or through which the contents of carton 1 may be either sprinkled or poured as desired, depending on the position of control gate 6 which in turn is held tightly against plastic top 2 by backing piece 10 as more fully described below.

Plastic top 2 is equipped with a gate shifting slot 4 through which gate shifting tab 5 protrudes and makes possible the easy shifting of the position of control gate 6. Control gate 6 pivots about a pin or stud 12 and the arcuate sides of slot 4 are concentric about this same point.

Before the device is placed in use for dispensing of the contents, gate shifting tab 5 is held over in an extreme right position by sealing and tear-off tab 7 which initially forms an integral part of my plastic top when manufactured. This, of course, hold control gate 6 tightly in the closed position and maintains the contents hermetically sealed and provides insurance against tampering with same. This is best seen in FIG. 1.

When it is desired to commence the dispensing of the contents, tear-off tab 7 is first torn off. This condition is best shown in FIG. 2. If it is desired to sprinkle the contents from the carton, shifting tab 5 is moved to the extreme left position, bringing sprinkling holes 8 located in gate 6 in register with aperture 3. This is best shown in FIG. 2-a. Movement of gate shifting tab 5 back to an approximately central position in the gate shifting slot brings pouring hole 9 into register with aperture 3 and the contents may then be poured out rapidly. Backing piece 10, of course, is equipped with an aperture 11 which is at all times stationary and in register with aperture 3.

An important feature of my invention is found in wiping rim 14 located around the periphery of aperture 11 in backing piece 10 and wiping rim 14a located around the periphery of the aperture 3 on the under side of top 2 and in the coacting of these two wiping rims with control gate 6. The coacting of the three principal elements of my invention, together with the aforesaid wiping rims, may best be seen in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6.

For assembling my device I utilize three assembling studs 12 which are mounted integral with top 2. These are adapted to receive holes 13 in backing piece 10. Control gate 6, of course, is located in between parts 2 and and hole 13a is larger in diameter than the correspond ing assembling stud 12 to permit the necessary oscillation of the gate about it as a pivot. The studs 12 are then riveted over holes 13 or secured to the backing piece in any manner known to those skilled in the plastic art. A tightly engageable relationship is now effected between the three elements of my invention.

It should be observed, however, that the aforesaid tight relationship is not over the entire surfaces of these elements. Sliding engagement between the surface of gate 6 and backing piece 10 occurs through the action and contact of wiping rim 14, while that between control gate 6 and top 2 is effected through the action of wiping rim 14-a positioned on the under side of top 2. The action of these rims is such that they perform. several interrelated functions in a novel manner. First of all, when the device is in the sealed closed position as shown in FIG. 1, the action of the tear tab 7 is such as to maintain an absolutely tight seal around the respective apertures 3 and 11 and control gate 6 by maintaining tight contact between these elements through the medium of the aforesaid wiping rims. When the tear tab is removed this tightness continues as a result of the action of the assembling studs 12 which are under tension. As a control gate 6 is moved alternately from the closed to the sprinking or to the pouring position, wiping rims 14 and 14a by scraping against the surface of gate 6 prevent any of the contents of the carton from being carried along with the gate and becoming lodged in between the moving surfaces. Jamming or clogging of this clearance space between the surfaces is thus prevented and the operation of the gate goes on unimpaired. In addition, of course, the rims continue to maintain the tight seal Whenever the gate is in the closed position.

I have discovered that particularly when using materials of the class described herein and wherein rims having a thickness of the order of one-thirty-second to one-sixteenth of an inch, relatively little tension is required on the studs 12 to maintain tightness and consequently comparatively little pressure is needed to be exerted upon gate shifting tab 5 to effect etficient operation of my invention. The easy fabrication and assembly of the device of my invention should now be evident to those skilled in the art from the description and figures above.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, those skilled in the art will now see that modifications may be made in some of the elements and parts shown without departing from the basic scope of my invention and I do not limit myself to the embodiment disclosed herein, except as I do so in the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A device for dispensing powdered or granular material and the like from a container comprising:

a first flat stationary upper member secured to an outer surface of said container and communicating with the interior thereof;

said first member having an aperture therethrough,

said aperture being completely surrounded by a peripheral raised wall positioned on the interior surface of said member;

a second flat stationary lower member fixedly positioned against the interior surface of said first member and in parallel spaced relation thereto;

said second member having an aperture therethrough, said aperture being in alignment with the aperture in said first member, said aperture in said second member being surrounded by a peripheral raised wall positioned on that surface of said second member facing said first member;

a movable member pivotally mounted between said first and said second stationary members in spaced relation-ship thereto and in sliding relationship with said raised walls in said first and second stationary members;

said movable member having an aperture therethrough positioned so as to come into alignment with said apertures in said first and second stationary members when said movable member is in a first or pouring position; said movable member having a plurality of holes therethrough positioned so as to come into alignment with said apertures in said first and second stationary members when said movable member is in a second or sprinkling position; said movable member having a solid section positioned so as to close off said apertures in said first and second stationary members when said movable member is in a third or closed position; means for moving said movable member alternately between said first and second positions and said third position;

whereby said material in said container may be altern-ately poured, sprinkled or shut off from said container while said material is prevented from moving into the said space between said stationary and said movable members.

2. The device of claim ll in which said means for moving said movable member between said pouring, sprinkling and closed positions comprises:

an arcuate slot through said first member;

said slot being concentric with said pivotal mounting of said movable member;

a shifting tab fixedly positioned on said movable member and protruding through said arcuate slot to the exterior of said container.

3. The device of claim 1 including means for positively locking said movable member in said third or closed position; i

means for readily removing said positive locking means.

4. The device of claim 3 in which said locking means comprises an integral part of said first flat stationary upper member;

a tear-off tab forming an integral part of said locking means;

means for simultaneously removing said tear-off tab and said locking means;

whereby said container is rendered tamper proof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,313,784 3/1943 Then 222--480 2,320,485 6/1943 St-raub 222-561 2,652,951 9/1953 Esposito et al 222-511 X 2,961,133 11/1960 Ankney 222480 X 3,104,039 9/1963 Dike 222512 X 3,117,701 1/1964 Stull 222153 X 3,118,577 1/1964 Estabrook 222-511 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES R. CARTER, Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR DISPENSING POWERED OR GRANULAR MATERIAL AND THE LIKE FROM A CONTAINER COMPRISING: A FIRST FLAT STATIONARY UPPER MEMBER SECURED TO AN OUTER SURFACE OF SAID CONTAINER AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR THEREOF; SAID FIRST MEMBER HAVING AN APERTURE THERETHROUGH, SAID APERTURE BEING COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY A PERIPHERIAL RAISED WALL POSITIONED ON THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID MEMBER; A SECOND FLAT STATIONARY LOWER MEMBER FIXEDLY POSITIONED AGAINST THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID FIRST MEMBER AND IN PARALLEL SPACED RELATION THERETO; SAID SECOND MEMBER HAVING AN APERTURE THERETHROUGH, SAID APERTURE BEING IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE APERTURE IN SAID FIRST MEMBER, SAID APERTURE IN SAID SECOND MEMBER BEING SURROUNDED BY A PERIPHERAL RAISED WALL POSITIONED ON THAT SURFACE OF SAID SECOND MEMBER FACING SAID FIRST MEMBER; A MOVABLE MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND STATIONARY MEMBERS IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP THERETO AND IN SLIDING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID RAISED WALLS IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND STATIONARY MEMBERS; SAID MOVABLE MEMBERS HAVING AN APERTURE THERETHROUGH POSITIONED SO AS TO COME INTO ALIGNMENT WITH SAID APERTURES IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND STATIONARY MEMBERS WHEN SAID MOVABLE MEMBER IS IN A FIRST OR POURING POSITION; SAID MOVABLE MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF HOLES THERETHROUGH POSITIONED SO AS TO COME INTO ALIGNMENT WITH SAID APERTURES IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND STATIONARY MEMBERS WHEN SAID MOVABLE MEMBER IS IN A SECOND OR SPRINKLING POSITION; SAID MOVABLE MEMBER HAVING A SOLID SECTION POSITIONED SO AS TO CLOSE OFF SAID APERTURES IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND STATIONARY MEMBERS WHEN SAID MOVABLE MEMBER IS IN A THIRD OR CLOSED POSITION; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID MOVABLE MEMBER ALTERNATELY BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND POSITION AND SAID THIRD POSITION; WHEREBY SAID MATERIAL IN SAID CONTAINER MAY BE ALTERNATELY POURED, SPRINKLED OR SHUT OFF FORM SAID CONTAINER WHILE SAID MATERIAL IS PREVENTED FROM MOVING INTO THE SAID SPACE BETWEEN SAID STATIONARY AND SAID MOVABLE MEMBERS. 